Standstill
by Mizhera
Summary: "If there is someone who knows the importance of time, it will be without a doubt the youngest genius in their group." A series of short interrelated vignettes revolving around our lovable Chinese girl as she grows up. (Photo credits to: @RatuShadina1612)
1. Family

_**A/N: **New story. Hehe. But this time it's about Ying! Anyway, some of the ideas in the story are my headcanons while others are based on the info found at Ying's profile in Boboiboy Wikia. __The translations here are also from Google so I'm really sorry for the inaccuracies in advance. Please do correct me if I'm wrong._

**_DISCLAIMER_: **_**I don't own BoBoiBoy.**_

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**Jiātíng **— _Family_ — _**Keluarga**_

* * *

_"Time heals all kinds of wounds."_

_._

_._

_._

She was four.

When her family settled to move from China to another country after her parents decided to file a divorce, she didn't understand what that meant. Why did her Bàba hugged her more tightly than usual before letting go while promising that he will come visit her soon? Why did he turned his back as her Māmā dragged her away no matter how much she cried and called for him? Why did he didn't come with them to Malaysia?

_Why?_

She asked her Lǎolao about it. But the old lady only shook her head and wrapped her wrinkled hands around the young child's while saying, "You'll understand it someday when you're old enough."

_Why? _

"Don't they want to be together?"

Her grandmother only hugged her in silence.

_Why?_

"Don't they love each other anymore?"

She still didn't reply.

So Ying stopped asking. But that didn't mean she already understood.

Eventually, after rare phone calls and unreplied letters, she finally realized that her parents had decided to separate permanently. Because even though he had promised that he'll visit them to their new home in _**Pulau Rintis**_, her Bàba never came. Not even once. And she knew she'll probably never gonna see him again either. Ever.

Her father had already moved on and that broke her heart. Because unlike him, her Māmā still cried every night even after a month since they had settled into their new house.

She would sob silently in their room thinking that her child was already deep asleep but she was mistaken. Ying was wide awake but she pretended not to hear anything. She couldn't afford to make her Māmā worry. So she closed her eyes and prayed that her own tears would go away, too.

Later on, she stopped asking her mother to send letters. Instead, she devoted herself on learning to read and write while learning the language of her new home with her.

"_**Saya sayang awak, Māmā**_." [_I love you, Mom._]

The woman was surprised. But for the first time since they arrived the island, she finally showed a real smile. "**_Saya sayang awak juga, Ying_**." [_I love you, too, Ying._]

In time, they'll be okay.

(Ying was four when she started the hobby of collecting stamps from the unsent letters.)


	2. Best Friend

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Boboiboy**

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**Zuì Hǎo De Péngyǒu** — _Best_ _Friend_ — **_Kawan _****_Baik_**

* * *

_"Time strengthens friendship."_

_._

_._

_._

She was five.

When a young girl donned in a long-sleeved fuchsia dress and hijab suddenly sat beside her and smiled, Ying's first thought was that she looked like a princess just like those from the fairy tale books she'd seen.

She smiled in return.

Who would have thought that on her first day in kindergarten, she'll meet her long-time best friend?

"My name is Yaya."

_Not her._ But did she regret it?

"I'm Ying."

_Definitely not either._

"Do you like cute stuffs?"

"Yes, very much!"

They got along immediately.

Yaya was sweet and friendly unlike her who's more shy and tend to have a sharp tongue but the former didn't mind it. Although, the pink girl can also be a little short-tempered and strict sometimes but over all she was still a nice girl and Ying admired that. She wished she could be like her, too; someone who's very confident in everything she did.

Anyway, the funny thing was that on that same day they became friends, they also became rivals in their class.

One after another, they would compete on _everything_! Whether who could finish writing the fastest or draw the best picture in class. Everyone thought that they had already broken their new-found friendship because of it. But when the two young girls suddenly burst out laughing after their heated competition, they knew that's not the case. Everything was back to normal again but their classmates were still confused, even the teachers themselves were concerned.

But she just giggled at that thought.

They probably wouldn't understand that their rivalry also strengthened their bond. It's like even long before they were born, they were destined to be best of friends and worst of enemies at the same time.

"Would you like to have some biscuits?" Yaya beamed at her as the pink girl handed her a pack of it. "I help my Mama baked these. I hope you like them!"

"Sure!" She grinned back. But after one bite, she immediately regretted it afterwards. It tasted so horrible that she couldn't even described it!

"How is it?" the other girl asked innocently. "I really want to share it to my new friend."

She forced a smile. "I-It's delicious." She didn't really have the heart to destroy that innocent smile after all. Yes, the things she would do for a friend. _Really_.

"Really? Thanks! I'll bring a lot more tomorrow."

"_NO!_"

"Huh?"

"I-I mean, it's my turn to bring something for you."

"Oh, I see," she smiled radiantly. "Thank you!"

She breathed out a relief. _Safe!_

Later on, she also asked her mom for homemade goodies that she could bring to school for her new best friend the next day... And also so that Yaya _didn't_ need to bring _any_. But that's a secret, okay?

In time, their friendship will continue to bloom.

(Ying was five when she swore to never eat Yaya's biscuits again.)


	3. Homework

_**DISCLAIMER: Nope.**_

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**Jiātíng Zuòyè** — _Homework_ — **_Kerja Rumah_**

* * *

_"Time helps one to be patient."_

_._

_._

_._

She was six.

When a dark-skinned boy who is much more bigger and taller than her entered the room, she was confused. He looked older than her and Yaya, yet why was he in their class? He should be in enrolled in Standard 2 already.

Not like she was any different though.

She should still be in Kindergarten. But because she managed to pass and excel in every subject, she was allowed to advance immediately to Standard 1 despite of her age. But how about that kid? Did he get held back by a year?

She wanted to ask him but she also didn't want to offend him if ever so she stayed quiet. Besides, she's also embarassed to speak to a new person. She was never good at talking anyway even before. If it wasn't for Yaya, she would probably still be alone right then. So Ying waited for her to talk to him first instead.

And it didn't take long for that to happen.

His name was Gopal. His father accidentally enrolled him in their class after forgetting his son's birth year during registration which was why they were classmates. However, for someone who is out of place, he sure gets along with everyone pretty fast. He seems to be okay although she could immediately tell that he's a very laidback person especially in his studies. A total opposite to her and Yaya. But they became friends still. _Somehow_.

What made them worry though was that he didn't bother trying to do decently in all of their subjects. He was more interested in reading comics, eat junk foods, and play games with the other kids. He didn't even listen much in their class and was always late in passing his assignments. Yaya eventually gave up trying to reprimand him but not her.

Finally, she had enough of it. Even though she herself hardly interacts with others due to her shyness, she was annoyed that he ignored her best friend's efforts.

Just when she was about to give him a piece of her mind right after their last subject, she saw him look out of the window blankly while his comics was long forgotten on his desk. The report card that they had just received today was on his hand. It was already getting late and yet it seemed like he didn't have any plans to go home yet.

"Oi, why are you still here?"

He jumped it surprise and stared at her like she was a ghost.

"Ah, I-I'm thinking of staying a bit longer." He stuttered as he unconsciously clenched the paper on his hand a little tighter. He couldn't even look at her. "W-What about you?"

"Well, **_Cikgu_** asked me to collect the Math assignment. You haven't submitted yours."

He started sweating. "I-I'll pass it tomorrow."

"You always say that. But you never did, you know?"

He blushed in embarassment. "T-That's because not all of us are smart just like you, guys!" The hands that held the card started to shake.

"Whatever. I'm going home. You should, too."

He didn't move.

She frowned. The boy in front of her look like he's so scared unlike a few days ago where he seemed so carefree. Just why was he so afraid of something?

Her gaze went back to the report card he was holding. _Perhaps_...

"Are you scared to let your parents see your grades?"

He flinched.

She was right. This kid did care about his studies albiet on a smaller scale. She remembered that Gopal failed on both Math and English so she finally understood his dilemma. But he could've just asked for help, right? Was he embarassed because he's older than them?

"Well, I'll help you with the homework tomorrow."

"I-I didn't ask for your—"

She glared at him. "Do you want to pass or not?"

He reluctantly agreed in the end.

Later on, Yaya joined them, too. And at that time, Gopal was the next victim of her biscuits and the first one to complain which earned him an awful earful from the pink girl. Other than that, he was still so lazy in studying that Yaya eventually sighed in exasperation and Ying was almost at her last straw. The youngest of the three was already ready to smack him.

In time, she'll learn to be patient.

"Ow! That hurts, Ying!"

_Maybe_.

(Ying was six when she started to get a _little_ more violent.)


	4. Powers

_**DISCLAIMER:** **You should know by now. Lol.**_

* * *

**Quánlì** — _Powers_ — **_Kuasa_**

* * *

_"Time leads to an unknown future."_

_._

_._

_._

She was seven.

When she was required to read that one fantasy book for their class book report, she couldn't put it down. Even after they had passed the said report, she still kept rereading it. Normally, that was the case for every book she read. Whether it's a Math textbook or Gopal's comic, she can finish reading those things in one sitting. But it was different this time.

It was about a heroine who had magical powers and saved the kingdom from a ferocious dragon. It was amazing because usually the protagonist would be a male. It made her realize the a girl, like her, can be a hero, too.

But then there wasn't anything special about her. Even though she excelled in class, Yaya was also the same. The latter was a lot better than her, too, because she's friendly and had leadership skills. She can socialized with anyone unlike her. Ying was still struggling to communicate to others aside from Gopal and Yaya. She's easily flustered and it also didn't help that she's a _bit_ impatient... Okay, maybe a _lot_. And that made her feel that she wasn't really suited to be a heroine.

In her opinion, if there's someone who fits into that role instead, it would definitely be their resident biscuit-maker. (Definitely, not Gopal because he's scared of a _lot_ of things.)

"Hey, is something wrong?" Yaya asked when she saw her finally put down the fantasy book she's been obssessed for many days. They were at the canteen having their recess.

"Do you think, I can be a hero, too?"

Gopal snickered at this but the other girl elbowed him with a matching glare which shutted him up.

Yaya smiled. "Of course! Why not?"

"But I don't have the qualities of being one."

"Well, I don't think so. You're quite brave and won't hesitate to speak your mind out. You also help others and you're smart, too."

"Eh? I don't remember helping someone."

"You helped me with my homework before." Gopal chimed in before stuffing another batch of chips into his mouth.

"See?" Yaya laughed heartily.

She couldn't help but get embarrassed. "But that isn't much."

"Everything starts from small."

She blinked but eventually smiled. "I guess."

The only boy in their group suddenly asked. "Hey, if you ever had powers, what would you like to have?"

Yaya thought for a minute before responding. "I dunno. I never really thought about it. But I definitely want something that could help me protect everyone."

"Then I would really want something related to food!" Gopal grinned. "Being a hero will get me hungry, you know?"

Ying rolled her eyes. "Hero or not, you're _always_ hungry." Then shook her head. "All you ever think about is food."

"Hey!"

The two girls only laughed.

For the young Chinese girl, she would trade anything for moments like these to last where she and her two friends were just having fun.

"What about you, Ying," Yaya inquired.

She needed not to think twice and said the first word that came to her mind. "_Time_."

Later on, they also discussed about having a disguise to hide their identity if they become a hero. It had to be cool!

In time, they will indeed save the world but that will be in a few more years.

(Ying was seven when she started wearing fake glasses.)


	5. Game

**_DISCLAIMER: Monsta owns Boboiboy not me._**

* * *

**Yóuxì** — _Game_ — **_Permainan_**

* * *

_"Time should be spent on the important things."_

.

.

.

She was eight.

When Gopal let her borrow the latest installment of the Papa Zola Game Series in exchange for _helping_ him answer their Math homework, she wasn't really ecstatic. For one, she didn't play video games. And second, she didn't like the idea that Gopal _always_ depend on either her and Yaya in their academics.

"Papa Zola is the No. 1 Defender of Justice and he goes to beat monsters—" and he went on explaining the whole plot of the game for the 30 minutes straight. "Come on, it will really be fun!"

She rolled her eyes. "You know, if you have _time_ to memorize all of that, then you should be able to do the same for the formulas in Math." Then narrowed her eyes. "Now I know why you always _forget_ your homework."

"Hey! Math's a _different_ language," Gopal reasoned and that earned him a smack in the head.

"Now-now. No fighting," Yaya, the resident mediator, intervened. "We should better get started on our assignments now or we'll never finish them all."

The two of them relented.

On their way home, Gopal still insisted on having her play the game. Yaya wasn't there this time because her mom picked her up.

"Believe me! It's gonna be fun, Ying! Just try it!"

"Even if I will, it's still school days, Gopal. I don't think Māmā will allow me."

"Just one stage!"

She could only roll her eyes at that.

"Oh. Wait, I understand," he suddenly have this smug look and Ying could swear she can feel her eyebrow twitched because of that.

"What do you _mean_?"

"Nothing." He shrugged off.

"_Gopal_..." she warned. Her hands started to form into fist.

He whisled. "Well, I just realized that you probably just suck at playing game consoles that's why you don't want to play it."

"What?! Of course not!"

"Really?" He gave a sly grin.

Ying could feel her vein popped. "Fine! Give me that stupid game!"

Gopal's grin grew wider and he was more than happy to hand the **_Papa Zola 5: Kebenaran di Lorong Kegelapan._**

"Enjoy playing!" He called out before they separate ways.

She couldn't helped but sigh when she realized she was just tricked by Gopal. Ugh. She would really make him pay for this in their next study session.

She glanced again at the game on her hand. The cover still didn't interest her. But for the sake of friendship, she'll give it a chance. Besides, Gopal also teased her that she'll probably won't beat the game and that triggered the competitive side in her. Ha! She'll definitely prove him wrong.

"Well, just one stage for today alright," she told herself.

What she didn't expect, however, is that she'll enjoy playing the game console. It was a little bit confusing at first with all the buttons and stuff but once she got the hang of it, everything was a piece of cake. She was so into it that she didn't realized was that she was starting to get addicted to the point that it got so late.

It wasn't until her Māmā reprimand her about it especially how late it was. She promised to turn it off after beating the final boss.

Later on, she did but it was already pass midnight and just when she was about to sleep, she remembered she still have to finish her essay for English Class.

She paled.

In time, she'll become one of the best gamers for the Papa Zola Series but never again will she prioritize it over her academics.

(Ying was eight when she arrived at school late for the first time.)

* * *

***Papa Zola 5: _Kebenaran di Lorong Kegelapan_** – or Papa Zola 5: _Truth Against the Forces of Darkness_ is the fifth installment of the Papa Zola Game Series in Boboiboy.


	6. Hero

_**DISCLAIMER: It's 2020, but I still don't own Boboiboy.**_

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**Yīngxióng** — _Hero — __**Wira**_

* * *

_"__Time flies when you're having fun__."_

.

.

.

She was nine.

When Tok Aba, the old man who owns the _**Kokotiam**_ a few blocks from her house, told them that his grandson was coming to stay for the school break, she was curious. After all, it's a boy from the big city which was far different from the small island they lived in. So she wondered what he looks like.

Well, it wasn't only her though.

Gopal was ecstatic to finally have a male kid to hang out with. He complained that he was already tired of having to deal with them who only talk about academics and girl stuffs. That earned him a glare from both Yaya and her.

Yaya, on the other hand, was also excited for the reason that there will another one to try her prided biscuits. She already knew how to bake(?) on her own this time without her mom's supervision so she wanted to bake lots and lots. Ying was starting to feel bad for the unfortunate kid.

Nevertheless, soon the day for Tok Aba's son to visit came. As expected, Ying found him at _**Kokotiam **_with Gopal. They were busy talking with each other, or more accurately, it was the older boy who was rambling and insisting to Boboiboy to be his best friend. The young girl also wanted to join their conversation but she suddenly felt shy to say anything (and they also didn't notice her presence).

So she called the shop's telephone instead.

"Hello?"

And the rest was history.

It was a start of another friendship really. Another boy was added to their small group and it was like he was meant to be there. Boboiboy was a little stubborn and wary of them at first but he was a nice and responsible kid. He also became their instant leader. He pretty much handled Gopal's weird antics and Yaya's _unique_ biscuits rather well. And Ying somehow felt that meeting Boboiboy was a new beginning.

Indeed it was because the very next day, they met Ochobot, a **_Power Sphera_** who gave them cool powers to defeat an annoying green boxhead alien. Ying got the power of super speed* and she couldn't ask for more. They fought a lot of different aliens and save their home just like those heroes she read from fantasy books in the past.

And so the young girl began to look forward to what's to come for them. After all, as long as they're together, they could overcome anything, right?

But then she remembered Boboiboy had to go back to his hometown after the school break. No matter how much their group had grown closer in the past few weeks, he couldn't stay with them.

Before they knew it, it was already time.

Of course, Gopal was greatly upset. He didn't want his bestfriend to leave after all that they've been through. He even planned to snuck into one of Boboiboy's luggages so that he could go with him. Obviously, he didn't succeeded and end up only bawling his heart out at the train station as they send their pseudo leader away.

Yaya was sad, too. But she took the situation a lot better than Gopal. Maybe because she's really mature for her own age. She even gave Boboiboy her home-baked biscuits which the former reluctantly accepted. (The young Chinese girl could only watch the boy in sympathy). But when Yaya thought that no one was looking, Ying caught a sight of her wiping a few tears.

Ochobot was still disappointed that Boboiboy won't take him back home but he had already relented when the cap boy told him to help Tok Aba with his shop. That didn't mean he was already okay with his first friend going away though.

Ying, like the others, felt the same. Boboiboy had done so much for them and even saved their lives countless times. He was their leader and friend even if he had his faults, too. Which was why she'll miss him even more so since she's not really good at handling situation when people she cares about leave her behind. After all, she had already lost her father before. If only she could stop time infinitely where no one leaves.

But still she smiled in the end. She knew Boboiboy also missed his parents so she shouldn't be selfish. Because out of everyone, she should know better what it's like to be far away.

Besides, he did promise that he will come back again on the next vacation. So Ying will just have to wait until then.

"Boboiboy, don't you forget us!" She said.

He grinned. "Don't worry, I won't."

Later on, as they watched Boboiboy walked on the platform towards the entrance of the train and waved goodbye, another raven-haired boy walked out of the same train and strode pass them, not sparing a glance at their direction. But at that moment, they were also busy holding back their tears to even notice _him_.

In time, they will see Boboiboy again but they have no idea that it will be sooner than they thought. And they'll meet that _other_ boy, too, but that's another story to tell.

(Ying was nine when she started crossing out the days in their calendar until next school break.)

* * *

**_*Su_****_per Speed _**_\- At this point, Ying still didn't know that her power is actually Time Manipulation._


End file.
